{"id":53965,"date":"2023-10-04T14:53:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-04T14:53:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.networkworld.com\/article\/3707992\/20th-national-cybersecurity-awareness-month-kicks-off.html#tk.rss_security"},"modified":"2023-10-04T14:53:00","modified_gmt":"2023-10-04T14:53:00","slug":"20th-national-cybersecurity-awareness-month-kicks-off","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.threatshub.org\/blog\/20th-national-cybersecurity-awareness-month-kicks-off\/","title":{"rendered":"20th National Cybersecurity Awareness Month kicks off"},"content":{"rendered":"
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As National Cybersecurity Awareness Month kicks off, it’s a good time to reflect on how secure the systems you manage are \u2013 whether they\u2019re running Linux, Windows or some other OS. While Linux is considered by many to be more secure due to its open-source nature and because privileges are clearly defined, it still warrants security reviews, and this month’s focus on cybersecurity awareness suggests that an annual review is more than just a good idea.<\/p>\n

The designation became official in 2004, when President George W. Bush and Congress declared October to be National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Keep in mind that in 2004, security practice often involved little more than updating antivirus software. Today, cybersecurity practices are much more intense as the threats have grown to be far more significant and far more challenging.<\/p>\n

This post looks into what Linux admins should be doing to protect their systems in the spirit of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month.<\/p>\n

What are we protecting?<\/h3>\n

\u201cCybersecurity Awareness Month is a critical reminder that effective cybersecurity isn’t solely about building higher walls against external threats. It’s equally about understanding and managing the data you already hold within those walls,” said Carl D’Halluin, CTO of Datadobi<\/a>, in a statement. D\u2019Halluin went on to point out that \u201cillegal and orphaned data are prime examples of internal vulnerabilities that often go overlooked.\u201d<\/p>\n

How serious is the challenge?<\/h3>\n

\u201cToday, cyber threats are escalating into full-blown crises \u2013 making Cybersecurity Awareness Month more than just a gentle reminder, but a stark warning that we must urgently overhaul our digital defenses,” stated Don Boxley, CEO and co-founder of DH2i<\/a>. “Gone are the days when established security measures like VPNs sufficed. Hackers are continually advancing, rendering traditional methods increasingly obsolete. Proactive security isn’t an option; it’s an absolute necessity if organizations want to survive into the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

How important is email security?<\/h3>\n

Cybersecurity Awareness Month is \u201ca crucial period that calls for our attention on the increasing threats in the digital landscape. Among these threats, one that’s often pushed to the background but deserves center stage, is email security,\u201d stated Seth Blank, CTO at Valimail<\/a>. \u201cThe bottom line is that even if the stats have become easy to ignore \u2013 the problem is real, and one misstep can wreak havoc.\u201d Blank added: \u201cThis Cybersecurity Awareness Month, don’t just scroll past the warnings \u2013 take them to heart. Beef up your email security, or get ready for a world of hurt. The ball is in your court, and it’s ticking.\u201d<\/p>\n